You call me by a name that I've missed. Who are you?　How do you know that name?

　A brown woman who looks like a demon.
　Who is she?　I don't want to be asked.
　It's hard to prove an individual because they are undeniably gentiles in this world.
　No, I guess that's not what we're talking about.

　But this demon tribe. ...... No, it's the nightmare tribe.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　Slightly thicker eyebrows.
　It's a very healthy brown skin, even though it lives in a cave like this.
　The twin mounds on his chest are quite insistent.
　Most of all, he has two twisted horns on the side of his head.
　Hmm. It's a cow woman.

"Shamash. ......

　The Hellmonger, who held a slender dagger, muttered.
　Her vermilion eyes waver in confusion.
　A cool dagger. A Damascus sword.
　Apparently, it's an item similar to the dagger in Shero-san's house.
　That should have originally been a gift from the emperor to the leader of the mercenary group that Shero-san was the deputy leader of. Was it given to him as a memento when the commander died?
　I see, since he has that much stuff, this jailbait girl must be at fault. Or rather, I'd like to see her for sale. I've been looking for it in Elishe, but I've never seen one like that one.
　If it's a guardian sword type thing, I guess it's no good: .......

　The demoness put her hands on her hips and said with a shrug of her shoulders, "Oh dear.

'Anyway, that guy is my guest. Put your sword away. ...... Hmmm, it's been a long time since I've had a visitor. Let's have a cup of tea and talk about it at leisure.

　A slightly low, silky sounding voice.
　And it's much more cheerful than I had imagined.

　Since it's called the demon race, I was imagining something with very green skin and tentacles and such, and I could tell at a glance that this guy was in trouble.
　Normally, I didn't expect to see a beautiful young woman: .......

　That's why I was led to the demon tribe's residence, which is said to be in the tunnels.
　The girl is still wary of me, even though it's a misunderstanding.

　The tunnels are cool and the air is flowing. It must be connected to somewhere.
　Furthermore, there seems to be a mysterious light source, and it's not pitch black. At dusk, it is bright enough that you may or may not be able to recognize the faces of those who are a little distance away.
　The logic is unclear, but it's a fantasy world. Maybe it's growing on the ground.
　Well, without a light source in the pitch blackness, it's not easy for the demon race to live in the dark, let alone the prison girls. It seems inconvenient to live in the tunnels, but as long as there's light, it's not impossible to live there. In fact, it might be more convenient than an ordinary house.

　The demon tribe's dwelling was located in a slightly open area in the tunnels.

''Hm?　Oh, cool.
Do you know how good it is?　Mmm-hmm. You hear that?　Aeon, Dargos.
Your husband's got a bit of an aesthetic problem, don't you think?
'Yeah?　Without this?

　The demon tribe's residence had flashy carvings on the outer walls and doors. The stone and wood have been transformed into plants and animals, and are dynamic.
　It's a European style, or maybe Art Nouveau ....... It's cool and well-designed. It's something I've never seen before in Elishe and Luclaera.
　That's a demon's dwelling!　There's a bewitching quality to it that makes me, personally, very much like .......

'Did you carve this?'

　I'll ask the demon tribe.

"Yeah. I'm proud of it. I've got all the time in the world.

　Lightly smug.
　Hmmm, that's amazing.
　It's a demon race, but maybe he's a mason or something. I'm a craftsman before magic is even a thing. Maybe that's why he's a friend of the grand master.

　You open the fine wooden door and enter.
　There is a small fireplace, with a modest flame glowing in the background.

　The room is warm and warm, and as expected, there is a lot of art nouveau style furniture carved with a mysterious design.
　The walls are painted with a picture of ivy intertwining with each other.
　The tables and chairs are also carved with a high level of design.

　I wonder if they were made in their spare time.
　I would like to get to know them simply as a craftsman.

Well, have a seat. I'll make you some tea.

　He cheerfully offers me a chair.
　Me, the grand master, and my prisoner daughter take a seat at the table.
　Somehow I feel uncomfortable.
　A stranger. A strange house.
　I've gotten used to it lately, but I'm a recluse and a NEET. I'm still not very good at getting along with people I don't know.

　When no one spoke up, the Hellmonger opened her mouth, perhaps unable to bear the silence.

''Sorry about the ............ earlier. I didn't expect Shamash to have a visitor. ...... I thought you were my guest.

　He lowers his head in a pecking order.
　As expected, it seems that the blood that rose to his head was cold, too.

　Shamash is probably the name of that demon tribe.
　It's enough that they didn't expect guests. It seems that the demon tribe is hardcore.
　With a beautiful woman like that, she could have a whole bunch of money to spend if she wanted to.

"Not at all. I'm sorry for my unexpected visit. I'm the one who's sorry for coming in suddenly.
Oh, dear. You're very polite.
No, it's normal.

　I'm not going to be particularly polite. However, I'll know enough not to suddenly ask about the prison crests.
　I'd really like to ask, but the fact that it has a prison crest means that it violated some kind of spirit contract and escaped.
　There's no need to stick your neck out like that.

　The contract - for example, the contract between me and Marina doesn't have any contractual details that would cause this prison crests. If we renege on it, we just lose our blessing.

　Basically, it seems that the prison crests are like the ones that occur in 'failure to serve a prison sentence'.
　Does that mean that this Hellmonger is some kind of criminal and has escaped?
　So, is she hiding here by the demon race?

Are you curious about ......?　This.

　I say, rubbing the prison crests on my blackened arms.
　His gaze is down at an angle. He is staring at the edge of the table.
　Is there still a guilty conscience?

'Not particularly. And we have one just like it in our house.

　In some ways, Deanna's tattoo has more impact. It's more colorful, after all.
　Besides, it sounds like you're making the book popular, and I'm like, "I'm curious!　I'm curious!　I'm super curious! I can't say that.

　For people in this world, this tattoo may sound like a wow, but for me, a full body tattoo is just common sense. We're working with a cat person who speaks very fluently, not just with tattoos.

　Besides, the "advisor yakuza" who sometimes came to my office when I was in the black corporate world, he had a full body tattoo. It's different in design and coloration than Deanna's, but it's similar in that it's a colorful, full-body tattoo.
　Well, that's why, "Wow, tattoos! I can't get any more emotional than, "Hey, you're here.

I'm sorry to keep you waiting. We don't have many visitors, and it took us a while to find our cups.

　The demon tribe returns with a cup of tea on the obon.
　He lays out the tea and sits down at the table. Then he stares at me with a gaze.
　Hey ......, stop it, I have a phobia of staring ....... What the hell is .......

'Well, ....... This is very important, but first I want to make sure you know what I'm talking about. It's been bothering me since the first glance.

　A demon tribe that stares into your eyes and talks to you.
　I haven't even introduced myself yet. ......

　The demon tribe took a sip of tea, took a small breath, and said.

''--Isn't that thing on your waist a magic sword by any chance?
What?
I'm a bit of a special kind of person. I'm a bit sensitive to demonic vibrations. And that sword is no ordinary sword, is it?

　Hmm. I guess the magic sword is understandable to those who understand it.
　Come to think of it, the bear monster is also a "demon sword!　I won't allow it! And it was like.

"As you can see, it's a demon sword. It is inscribed with the Heart of Blood.

　It's not like I'm hiding anything.
　No, I wouldn't want him to attack me like the bear in the example, but I don't think he would. You don't have ......, do you?

　When I answered, the demon tribe meditated.

''I see. ....... I'm sorry. It's fine if you don't mind, but would it be okay if I showed it to you?
Okay.

　I'll give you the whole sheath of the demon sword.
　I wonder if the demon tribe has a special attachment to the sword.
　I receive it reluctantly. I pull out the sword from the scabbard.
　And I am fascinated by the sword.

...... oohhhh!　It's like the legend, the seven demonic swords. A divine sword that was kneaded with demons and struck. I didn't know they really existed: ......

　A divine sword.

''Isn't this the lore of the dwarves?　As I recall, the grand master said as much.

　I'm sure he had mentioned something like that when he showed the Grand Master the magic swords.
　The seven demonic swords. Seven swords that buried the seven races and were drenched in seven blood colors - or something like that.

''Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Demon swords are very famous. It's well known among the dwarves. Probably, our race is the one that even knows what it is.
The reality?
Oh. It's said that a magic sword is not something that is struck by a person. And it is said that the sword chooses its own owner. I'm sure there are many people who have been recognized by the demon sword in the Age of Spiritual Civilization as having seven wielders. ...... And after the end of the spirit civilization era, the demon sword also disappeared. Along with its wielder.
He's disappeared, or rather, he's here: ......

　I mean, they were placed carelessly outside the antique shop.

According to our lore, the wielder of the sword often changed hands. According to our folklore, the wielder of the sword often changed hands, but the wielder was always a brave man with enough strength to be considered a hero. As for the Age of Spiritual Civilization, do you know about it?
No, I know very little about it; was it a thousand years ago or something?
'Yes, a thousand years ago. To us and the elves, it was only a few generations ago, but to man, it must have been ages ago.

　That's right, a thousand years ago is the Heian period.
　The demon race is as long-lived as the elves?

I'm sure you've heard of The Venom or The Silhouette, which are famous for their unique jobs, right?　It's not well known, but there were quite a few other unique jobs in that era. But nowadays, only four of them are known to exist. Oh, except for 'The Mirage', the 'Great Magician of the Dream Vision'. He's the only one that's recent.

　A swamp of malice?　Shadows?　I don't know if I've heard of it or not: .......
　I think the priestess said that when I got my blessing.
　There were only five people with unique jobs in the past, or something like that. If Demon Tribe is sure, though, it seems that there were actually more ...... than that.

'Anyway, that's how bullshit the era of spirit civilization was. It's said that an indigenous profession must have five or more vocation to be expressed. They said that such things were rampant. Furthermore, the monsters were also incomparably more numerous than they are now, and the number of magical beasts was also incomparable. Furthermore, the power of the hunters who opposed them was also incomparable to that of the present day. ......
It's a violent time: ......

　Scary, scary.
　If it was that kind of time, there's a good chance they would have been beaten up by goblins.
　The demon tribe continued to talk.

''The brave men of the spirit civilization era, the magic sword that only they had. They were the only ones who had this magic sword. Why do you have this sword?　After a thousand years, has something emerged that can be recognized as a magic sword?　And how do you know the true name of my people?　You're ...... who?

　Oops.
　It was far-fetched, but apparently I was pretty suspicious.
　Well, let's just answer honestly.

''I found the demon sword in a normal antique shop. It was just luck, or maybe it was just a chance encounter. The matter of the race name was a guidance. 'Let's meet the Nightmare Race'. So I didn't know that the demon tribe was the nightmare tribe. That's another coincidence.
...... No. I'm convinced by what you just said. At least you're not a believer in the Great Spirit.
Why?

　I'm sure he didn't give them the information that he's enslaving the elves.
　Or is it possible that the Grand Master has already told them?
　But that's not what I thought.

'Because a Great Spirit follower would never say 'chance encounter' about someone you met through guidance. We take it as a result of the Great Spirit's guidance, or the Great Spirit's intentions, or something like that.

　Oh, man, you failed. I'm pretty sure that's what they said.

"Oh, well, that's okay. You're not a bad person. In case you haven't noticed, my name is Shamash. As you see, I'm what you might call a demon. To be precise, though, as you said, I'm a nightmare tribe. Well, you can forget about that. It's a forgotten name.

　Then, finally, he introduced himself.


　◇◆◆◆◇


"But I was surprised just now. You suddenly pulled out a dagger and looked like you were about to commit suicide.
I'm sorry. It's a personal matter for us, too.
''Circumstances say ....... Oh, come to think of it, that was a cool dagger earlier.
'What?　Yeah, thanks.

　Drinking tea and chatting.
　I heard that the name of the prisoner's daughter is Aeon. It's a name like a big supermarket.
　It was the first time for Ochichikata to meet Aeon-san. Maybe, if he hadn't met her by accident this time, he might have gone into hiding without meeting her.

　Well, it's a bounty on your head, isn't it? The bounty on the bounty.
　One gold coin is a considerable amount of money, and it's a big risk to meet a stranger.

But you're a water junkie, aren't you? It's a good idea to say so if you're guided to meet with the demon tribe.

　And the Grand Master.

''No, I only went out to meet the Nightmare Tribe, and I didn't know if it was the Demon Tribe or not. So, this time it was a coincidence - no, it was a great spirit's guidance.

　In fact, I imagined the Nightmare tribe to be ghostly, pale skinned and standing under a willow tree.
　I didn't expect to see a beautiful, fleshly woman who was the opposite of a ghost: .......

'I see. Then you must have something to do with Mr. Shamash. No, what is he really, mister? Even if he's just a rich man, an elf, a demon tribe and a magic sword, that's not exactly normal.
"Elf?

　Mr. Shamash leans over from the table.

'Kun Kun Kun!　You sure do smell like an elf.

　Your face is so close!　Is he a natural?
　He's riding out and coming in, and he's got great cleavage!　It would have been bad if I didn't have resistance in Marina.

'Is there such a thing as a unique elf smell? Does it smell like river fish?

　Or the smell of a forest caterpillar or ....... No, that's indeed not true. I don't remember Deanna smelling anything special either.

I'm sure you'll be able to find it. It's not the smell of fish, though. It's a scent that cannot be detected by humans.

　So that's what it is.
　Is there some kind of range that humans can perceive in the smell?
　Like bats and dolphins that communicate in a range of sounds that humans can't hear: .......

'So much so that the smell seeps in, is that elf your 'good human'?'

　A good human being is .......
　It's hard to say in a nutshell what my relationship with that guy is.

Strictly speaking, it's a lot of things, but in a nutshell it's my slave.
Slave!　Slaves!　What a terrible guy. You have Le Baraka's blessing, haven't you?
Terrible, huh? Blessing is Le Baraka, isn't it? No really, it's a lot of circumstances.

　Everyone has their own situation.
　Whether it's Aeon-san of Hellmound or Shamash-san who lives in a cave like this, each of them must have some kind of situation.

　Well, I want to enslave the elves!　That's what I wanted, without the guidance of Deanna's example or anything else: ....... Without the circumstances.

'...... But, well, ....... I'm not a follower of Le Baraka, and I'm not a ...... elven slaveholder ......

　Shamash starts to think of something to mumble about.
　Well, I'm nowhere near as weird as I'd like to be in this world.

...... Yeah. So, what was it today that you wanted me to exorcise the demon of the sword?

　Oh, yeah.
　I didn't come here for this kind of talk.
　It seems that the grand master had already informed me of the requirements itself.

I took out the 'Rusty Vine' and the magic crystal and placed it on the table.

''Here it is. The Grand Master says that it's not rust, but demons are attached to it or something: ......
"Heh. ......

　Shamash looks interested and takes the sword in his hand.
　It's a bit of rust that makes me hesitant to touch it with my bare hands, but it doesn't seem to have any ill will.
　Maybe the rust that the demon has attached itself to is different from the rust in the iron oxide sense of the word.

'Hmm ....... Are you a connoisseur?　Where did you find this stuff?　If you're enslaving an elf, I can understand if it belonged to Solé, but ......

　He shifts his gaze from the sword to me and asks me.
　I bought this sword a long time ago and neglected it, but I wonder if it was a good one.

　Are you a connoisseur or not?　It's a delicate thing to say. And it's a cheat (cheat) called "Mirror of Truth". If I didn't have the ability to appraise it, I wouldn't have bought such a rusty sword, and I wouldn't have taken it in for a wasted repair.
　It's not that I don't have the money to buy a new one, and it's not like it's a historically important swing or anything like that.

'I'm a connoisseur. I'm a merchant, you know. I usually find them in antique shops.

　Keep the cheat thing a secret.
　He's a merchant, so he should be a connoisseur .......

　Well, that antique shop. It's kind of amazing to think about it now, since they sold both magic and mystery swords. There might still be bargains if you look for them.

　Whether or not he was satisfied with this kind of answer, Shamash moved his gaze to the sword again.
　And a gesture as if he was thinking about something.
　What is it ....... Ah.

Yeah. How do you want to pay for it?

　You don't know what kind of sword you're going to get when the rust comes off.
　It doesn't matter if it's a crappy sword for a low price or a great sword for a high price. We have to decide on the amount of money first.

...... Oh, that's right. It's a good idea. You have to get your money's worth. I will. Yeah.

　It was like a blind spot!　Shamash makes a face as if to say, "I'm not sure if I'm right.
　If you live like a recluse in a place like this, the cash income would be especially important. I wonder if they're getting by on their own.
　Aeon also caught a turkey (lailaila) from somewhere.

You ......, no, Ayase. I'll purify this sword on my own responsibility.
Oh. Thank you.

　You did it. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

But... On the house.
Yes. How about it?

　It's a waste of money.
　Priestesses, for example, if you offer a little, the execution of the jutsu itself is cheap, but maybe it's expensive for the demon race.
　Unlike spirit stones, demon stones aren't that expensive.

　I put the sword on the table and look down a bit. He looked at Aeon-san for a moment, then looked straight into my eyes.
　Feverish eyes, as if pleading with me.
　Shamash-san opens his mouth.

'...... gold coins, 100 pieces. Can I ask for them?
Shamash!

　Eeeeeeeeee!
　High!　It's expensive!
　It's not too expensive!
　No way! That's 15 million yen. That's the equivalent of five spirit stones.
　Perhaps it was because of the unexpected amount of money, even Aeon changed his expression and stood up and shook the table with a clatter.

''Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! It's a lie, Ayase. Shamash, don't be silly--
Aeon, be quiet. Ayase, you know what I mean.　I'm a demon race, so living in a place like this isn't too painful for me. But this girl is different. She's still young, but she's carrying a prison crest on her back, and she's living like a primitive in a cave like this, without the youth of a human being.

　Hmm?　I'm not sure I understand the connection between the stories?

Please. Of course, this isn't a freebie. You can use Aeon as a maid or whatever you want, and I'll do what I can to help you. If you want, I can be your slave.
'No!　What are you talking about?　Shamash.
Aeon. You don't think Aeon would want to live here with me forever, do you?　They know you're crying in the night, too.
'Don't do it ...... really ....... I'm glad I met Shamash, and I think my life here isn't so bad either. Besides, ...... you said you'd protect me until the end of my life.
'That's because I didn't expect the tide of fate to come in this way. A merchant enslaving the elves. Even Aeon can see that there is no way in the future that he will ever meet someone who is not a believer in the Great Spirit and can produce 100 gold coins, right?　I enjoy living with Ion, too, and part of me thinks it wouldn't be bad to live here forever. But ......
Shamash......

Oh, um, ......

　They got very excited about it, but I couldn't see the story at all.

'What's the story to begin with?　Can I ask you to break it down a bit more?
Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. In a nutshell, I'd like you to take the prison crests of ...... aeon for me.

　So that's what it is.
　You can take out the prison crests.

''As a demon, I can't wash out the large spirit's crest. Even the spirit stones need five spirit stones. The spirit stones are irrelevant to me, and Aeon doesn't have the blessing itself anymore. But you can prepare ......, can't you?　It's so much like enslaving an elf: ......
I see. Well, I'm certainly ready for that.
'Right!　So please!　Aeon is a poor fella, you know. I kept her here, and she's a really good girl. Like I said before, I'd gladly be a slave or anything else if it's okay with me. ...... However, an earth-black woman like me would be creepy. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. What do you think ....... Think of this as a great spirit's guidance, can't you drink it ......?
Stop it!　Shamash doesn't have to go that far!　It's such a ...... way to be the slave of the first man I've ever met. ......
Aeon. I'm a demon. I have a completely different lifespan than you guys. It's not a big deal to be a temporary slave. And when I say slave, I mean the kind of man who enslaves the elves. Someone like me wouldn't be the target of a sole. Well, I'm not actually a quack when it comes to soles either.

　It's a very solitary subject, though.
　No, that's not what I'm talking about.

''And maybe it's because I'm man enough to be recognized by ...... demon sword, but I'm also interested in you personally. Originally, it's been said that my race - the Nightmare race - is a man-lover. But I've always wondered why neither I nor my mother had anything like that. ...... Hmmm. Not bad for a great spirit's guidance.

　Then he gives me a sink eye. The gesture of casually pushing up the chest with the arm. It's just like an erotic woman. The nightmare tribe is not a nightmare tribe, but a dream demon tribe: .......

　But well, is it the guidance of the Great Spirit .......
　The demon tribe becoming a slave is a tempting proposition, I have to admit, but the "yes, then please" is also kind of prickly.

　But I was just trying to fix a rusty sword, but it's turning out to be a great development: .......
　What should I do?